German Meatballs Recipe for Tender Meatballs in a Creamy Caper Gravy. Copyright © 2022 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved.

German Meatballs Recipe for Melt-in-the-Mouth Meatballs in a Creamy Caper Gravy

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This German meatballs recipe makes deliciously tender meatballs in a delightfully tangy caper gravy that are traditionally served with buttered parsley potatoes. You could also serve these melt-in-the-mouth meatballs with creamy mashed potatoes in winter or with coleslaw or a crisp garden salad in summer. Don’t let a little warm weather stop you from tucking into these tasty flavour bombs.

Hold your tongues until you taste these melt-in-the-mouth meatballs. They may not be the most attractive meatballs – they’re not seared brown from pan-frying, nor smothered in a luscious tomato sauce, nor swimming in a creamy mushroom gravy – but the term ‘flavour bomb’ was obviously invented for this meatball. If you’re a meatball lover (more meatball recipes here for you), you’re going to love these.

This classic German meatballs recipe for Königsberger klopse makes a meatball that’s so tender it will melt in your mouth, with subtle umami flavours thanks to the anchovies, a tanginess courtesy of the capers, and zingy citrus due to the lemon zest, all balanced out by the sweetness of the onions and creaminess of the light onion gravy.

Popular in Germany to this day, as well as in Kaliningrad, where they are from, these meatballs are called Königsberger klopse. Klopse meant meatballs or ‘little dumplings’ in the Prussian language, and Königsberg meant ‘king’s mountain’. Königsberg was the East Prussian city from which these meatballs originated, which was renamed Kaliningrad after World War II, when it became an enclave of Russia.

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German Meatballs Recipe for Tender Meatballs in a Creamy Caper Gravy

This German meatballs recipe for Königsberger klopse is a very old recipe dating back to the Middle Ages, although the East Prussian name ‘klops’, which meant ‘meat dumpling’ didn’t come into existence until later so they were probably called ‘minced patties’ or ‘meat rissoles’ instead.

If you’re not familiar with the long, complicated history of Prussia and Baltic Europe, let me try to condense it as it’s key to understanding how these East Prussian meatballs became German meatballs. If you don’t find history fascinating and just want some tips on how to cook this German meatballs recipe for Königsberger klopse, then scroll down to the Tips section.

In a nutshell: the Prussians – also called Old Prussians and Baltic Prussians – were an indigenous Baltic tribe whose homeland of Prussia extended from the south-eastern Baltic Sea to the land we now know as Poland. The name ‘Prussian’ or ‘Prūsas’ (a Prussian person) is said to be derived from the name for a body of water – the sea or a lake – so essentially they were ‘the people of the waters’.

Archaeological evidence confirms the Prussians’ uninterrupted presence there from the 5th century BC until the beginning of the Migration Period. Around the 10th century the Polans (present-day Polish), who had no access to the sea, attempted to conquer the Prussians, with the help of Kievan Rus (modern-day Ukraine, Russia and Belarus), but failed.

And despite successive attempts to conquer their lands, it would be another 300 years before the Old Prussians were conquered, in the 13th century by the Teutonic Order, the Central European Catholic medieval crusaders, before being occupied by Germanic tribes, who were expanding eastwards.

Sadly, East Prussia would go on to become a fiefdom of the Kingdom of Poland, then part of the Duchy of Prussia under the Teutonic Order again (when the Prussian language became extinct), part of the Province of Prussia, then Kingdom of Prussia, which became the German Empire after 1871, then Weimar Germany from 1918, and Nazi Germany from 1933.

The Prussian peoples gradually became assimilated into the various German states and by the 17th century their language became extinct and along with it much of their culture.

German Meatballs Recipe for Tender Meatballs in a Creamy Caper Gravy. Copyright © 2022 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved.

Following the defeat of the Nazis in 1945 at the end of World War 2, poor war-torn East Prussia, which had been devastated by bombings by the British and American allied forces, was divided between Poland, the Soviet Union and Lithuania – all of which is to explain how East Prussia became part of Russia and Königsberg was renamed Kaliningrad in 1946.

And what happened to the Germans of East Prussia? Some 300,000 people are thought to have died during the World War 2 British bombing raids, at the hands of the Red Army, or from cold, hunger, disease, while the Germans who survived were expelled from East Prussia, as they had been expelled from all Eastern and Central European countries – a proposal by Winston Churchill to reverse Germany’s earlier eastward expansion.

While these delicious Königsberger klopse continue to remain a specialty in their renamed birthplace, Kaliningrad, where they still appear on many restaurant menus, the centuries-old East Prussian meatballs also travelled back to Germany with returning Germans, becoming known over a relatively short period of time as German meatballs.

Just a few tips to making this German meatballs recipe for Königsberger klopse.

Tips to Making this German Meatballs Recipe for Tender Meatballs in a Creamy Caper Gravy

This German meatballs recipe for Königsberger klopse is a variation on the classic recipe with just a few tiny tweaks. Let’s start with the meat. Long made with ground veal, they’re typically made with ground beef and ground pork these days, which is also my preferred combination for meatballs.

Cream in the gravy is another inclusion in most recipes, although I think the roux makes the gravy creamy enough as it’s meant to be a light gravy, but feel free to add cream at the end: 100ml should do it. Parsley was traditionally used, but I’ve opted for fresh dill instead. That’s about it for the tweaks. Back to the meatballs.

Once you’ve combined all the meatball ingredients, leave the mixture alone, don’t over-mix. That’s the difference between rustic, textured and tender meatballs, and smooth, tight almost bouncy meatballs.

Always taste the meat mixture before making the meatballs, so there are no surprises. Just take a small amount of the minced mixture and either pop it in the microwave or fry it. If it tastes under-seasoned to you, add a little more salt or white pepper.

I highly recommend using kitchen scales to weigh each spoon of minced meat mixture before shaping it into a meatball so that they’re uniform in size. They not only look nicer, but they’ll cook more evenly.

German Meatballs Recipe for Tender Meatballs in a Creamy Caper Gravy. Copyright © 2022 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved.

Anchovies, capers and lemon zest are all a must. They’re the ingredients that distinguish this classic German meatballs recipe for Königsberger klopse from other European meatball recipes. They also happen to be some of my favourite ingredients, so they’re not going anywhere. I mention them together for a reason.

One thing I found strange when stumbling across German meatball recipes during my research was how many times people commented on how unusual it was to see ‘Mediterranean ingredients’ such as anchovies, capers and lemon in a German meatballs recipe.

It’s true that we often associate capers, anchovies and lemons with the Mediterranean – in fact, Spain, Italy and France are where most European lemons are grown – but that doesn’t mean they aren’t found elsewhere and don’t feature in other European cuisines. Ingredients from opposite sides of the world have been traded for thousands of years because people in faraway places enjoy cooking and eating them.

Lemons are much-loved in Russia, where they’re sliced and dropped into black tea, and used to make all manner of cakes. Capers, native to the Mediterranean, are grown everywhere from the Canary Islands to the Black Sea and Crimea to Armenia, the Caspian Sea and Iran. As for anchovies, they’ve have long been fished in the Black Sea as well as the Caspian Sea, from where Russians transported them for processing and export to… Kaliningrad.

While traditionally served with parsley buttered boiled potatoes, I love these German meatballs with creamy mashed potatoes and coleslaw or a crisp garden salad, with dishes of dill pickles and sour cream.

German Meatballs Recipe

German Meatballs Recipe for Tender Meatballs in a Creamy Caper Gravy. Copyright © 2022 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved.

German Meatballs Recipe for Melt-in-the-Mouth Meatballs in a Creamy Caper Gravy

Our German meatballs recipe makes tender meatballs in a delightfully tangy caper gravy that are traditionally served with buttered parsley potatoes. You could also serve these melt-in-the-mouth meatballs with creamy mashed potatoes in winter or with a crisp garden salad in summer. Don’t let a little warm weather stop you from tucking into these tasty flavour bombs.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Main Course
Cuisine German
Servings made with recipe4
Calories 390 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

Meatballs

  • 1 white bread slice
  • 100 ml milk
  • 120 g white onion - finely diced
  • 1 tbsp salted butter
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • 180 g ground pork
  • 180 g ground beef
  • 2 anchovies - mashed
  • 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ lemon - zest only
  • 1 tbsp fresh dill - roughly chopped
  • 1 tsp white pepper
  • 1 egg - whisked
  • 1 litre water - or stock
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 6 cloves
  • 4 whole peppercorns

Gravy

  • 20 g butter
  • ¼ cup onion - finely diced
  • 20 g flour - sifted
  • 1 tbsp capers
  • ½ tsp salt – optional - o taste
  • 1 tbsp fresh dill
  • Cracked black pepper to serve

Instructions
 

  • First make the meatballs: in a shallow dish, soak the slice of white bread in whole milk so the bread is completely covered and set aside.
  • In a fry pan over medium heat, heat the butter and fry the diced onions until tender. When the onions soften, sprinkle them with salt and continue to try them, taking care not to burn them. When fragrant and translucent, transfer them to a dish and set aside to cool.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground pork, ground beef, onions, milk-soaked bread, mashed anchovies, wholegrain mustard, Worcestershire sauce, lemon zest, fresh dill, salt and white pepper, and whisked egg, but don’t over-mix; you want loose rustic meatballs, not smooth tight balls. Test the flavour by cooking a teaspoon of the mince in a microwave or fry pan, then adjust the seasoning if needed.
  • Use a teaspoon to scoop out around 32 g of the ground meat mixture, checking the weight on digital kitchen scales to ensure they’re all the same weight and will cook evenly, then roll the mince mixture a few times between your hands to shape it into a meatball. Transfer the meatball to a tray and repeat until you’ve used up all the mixture. It should make around 24-25 meatballs.
  • To a large deep skillet (big enough to hold all meatballs) over high heat, add a litre of boiling water, a tablespoon of salt, the bay leaves, cloves and whole peppercorns, bring to a boil, turn the heat to low to simmer, then transfer the meatballs to the broth.
  • Cover the skillet and cook the meatballs for 15-20 minutes until just done, turning them every 5 minutes to ensure they’re cooked evenly. Test a meatball after 15 minutes. When done, use a slotted spoon to remove the meatballs and transfer them to a tray and set aside.
  • Next make the gravy: transfer the meatball broth from the skillet to a jug and set aside. Use a paper towel to wipe the skillet, return it to the stove, and over medium heat, melt 20g butter, add the diced onions, and fry them until soft, fragrant and translucent.
  • Use a handheld sifter to gradually sift the flour onto the buttery onions and, with the other hand, use a wooden spoon or spatula to constantly stir the flour into the buttery onions to combine well. Continue stirring until it’s a milky-coffee colour, then gradually pour the meatball broth, little by little, into the skillet, continually stirring, until you have a light gravy.
  • Add the capers, taste, add salt if needed, add half the fresh dill, stir to combine, then return the meatballs to the gravy and heat over medium until hot.
  • Distribute between plates, garnish with the rest of the fresh dill and cracked black pepper, and serve with parsley buttered potatoes, creamy mashed potatoes and/or a crisp garden salad, with dishes of gherkins and sour cream.

Notes

Before you finish preparing the meatball mix, always taste the meat mixture so there are no surprises, such as them being under seasoned.
Take a small amount of the minced mixture and either pop it in the microwave or fry it in a little oil. If it tastes under-seasoned to you, add a little more salt or white pepper.

Nutrition

Calories: 390kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 20gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 128mgSodium: 2353mgPotassium: 431mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 352IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 95mgIron: 3mg

Please do let us know in the comments below if you make this German meatballs recipe for Königsberger klopse as we’d love to know how it turns out for you.

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A travel and food writer who has experienced over 70 countries and written for The Guardian, Australian Gourmet Traveller, Feast, Delicious, National Geographic Traveller, Conde Nast Traveller, Travel+Leisure Southeast Asia, DestinAsian, TIME, CNN, The Independent, The Telegraph, Sunday Times Travel Magazine, AFAR, Wanderlust, International Traveller, Get Lost, Four Seasons Magazine, Fah Thai, Sawasdee, and more, as well as authored more than 40 guidebooks for Lonely Planet, DK, Footprint, Rough Guides, Fodors, Thomas Cook, and AA Guides.

2 thoughts on “German Meatballs Recipe for Melt-in-the-Mouth Meatballs in a Creamy Caper Gravy”

  1. Great recipe. The meatballs didn’t fall apart as well! Love that caper gravy – and I agree that it doesn’t need cream, it would take away from the depth of flavor. I think this would be a great gravy to make for a steak dinner…5 stars

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